1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rail attachment bracket which is used to secure a rail to a support post. More particularly, the present invention relates to a rail attachment bracket and snap-on cover which provides improved support for hollow rails when they are attached to support posts, and which enables the screws and other portions of the attachment bracket to be hidden from view.
2. State of the art
There are numerous types of fences and railings which are used to designate boundaries. Fences may be used on property lines, or to protect individuals from dangerous locations. Additionally, railings on stair cases and decks help to steady people and prevent accidental injury. For centuries, the primary building materials for such fences and railings were primarily metal and wood.
Recently, there has been a tremendous increase in the use of vinyl and similar products for such purposes. The vinyl products have numerous advantages over the prior materials. Namely, the vinyl is flexible and less prone to damage than wood and other prior materials. The vinyl is also mark resistant and does not require frequent repainting or staining to protect the fence or railing from the elements. Additionally, the vinyl products are usually cost competitive with the other materials. Because of these advantages, vinyl has become a material of choice for making fences, columns, and railings for decks and staircases.
While the vinyl products are highly desirable for such uses, the fact that the vinyl is typically formed into hollow rails or posts raises certain difficulties. Primarily, the lack of any center support makes vinyl rails and posts more difficult to attach to support structures, especially to other pieces of vinyl.
To accomplish attachment of a vinyl rail to a support member, the prior art has typically relied on indirect attachment. Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a cross-sectional view of the attachment mechanism which is typically used for the rails of vinyl fences and vinyl railings on decks and the like. The support post 10 as a piece of molding 14 which is attached thereto by a pair of screws 18. The rail 22 is nested into an opening 26 in the molding 14 so that the molding forms a bracket to hold the rail in place. If desired, additional screws 28 can be used to physically attach the molding 14 to the end 22a of the rail 22.
Unfortunately, such a configuration has several disadvantages. First, there is no support within the rail 22 to provide the end 22a thereof with support. If the end 22a of the rail 22 is impacted, it may brake due to the lack of flexibility caused by the molding. If the rail 22 is bent sufficiently at a point inwardly from the end 22a, the end can be pulled out of the opening 26. To reattached the rail 22, the rail must either be rebent and slid into the opening (often a difficult task), or the molding must be unscrewed from the support post 10, slid over the end of the rail 22, and then reattached to the support post.
Another disadvantage of the prior art configuration shown in FIG. 1 is that the screws 18 which hold the molding 14 to the support post 10, and any screws 28 holding the molding to the rail 22 are plainly visible. The visible screws are generally less aesthetically pleasing than a finished product where no screws or nails are visible. Due to the number of screws 18 which may be visible, the screws can make the vinyl appear to be of lower craftsmanship than comparable wood products where the screw heads are covered.
Still another disadvantage of the prior art configuration shown in FIG. 1 is that the molding 14 provides inferior support for situations wherein the rail 22 is not disposed in a perpendicular arrangement with the support post 10. When the rail 22 is disposed at an angle such as 35 or 45 degrees, the rail no longer nests conveniently within the opening 26 of the molding 14. While the molding 14 may be cut away to enable insertion of the rail 22, the molding then provides very little vertical support for the rail, as shown in FIG. 1A. Thus, the risk that the rail 22 will become detached from the support post is significant. Additionally, a large, unsightly gap 26a can be left between the molding 14 and the rail 22.
Thus, there is a need for an improved rail attachment bracket wherein the bracket provides improved support to better hold the rail to the support post. Such an improved rail attachment bracket should be designed to work well in situations in which the rails attached to the support posts are disposed transverse to a plane perpendicular to the support post, i.e. in a position not orthogonal to the support post. The attachment bracket should also be inexpensive and easy to use. Additionally, the bracket should be coverable to provide a finished look to the final vinyl or composite railing, etc.